WFTS says goodbye to “ABC Action News at Noon.”

FIRST ON THE BLOG: Well. I totally didn’t see this coming. It seems like some expansion out there will suffer through a cutback somewhere else. It looks like that has happened now to WFTS.

Starting today, WFTS 28 will no longer air the hour-long ABC Action News at Noon. The program, which was a competitor to WTSP 10 and to WTVT 13 as well as Sarasota’s ABC station, WWSB 40, has now been replaced by The Dr. Oz Show in its timeslot.

This is all due to WFTS 28 expanding their weekday morning news coverage with a 4:30 a.m. half-hour and a full-hour of news at 9:00 a.m. Meredith Vieira takes over Dr. Oz’s old spot at 3:00 p.m. (being moved from 9:00 a.m.)

4 thoughts on “WFTS says goodbye to “ABC Action News at Noon.””

Why is it when a station adds a newscast it sometimes takes away another newscast? Is it stationomics or newsonics are what cause TV stations to do this? Do media consultants advise TV news stations to cut a newscast when the add one. How come TV stations would rather put a syndiacated show to replace a newscast when they know that syndicated programming costs more and when they know the commercial breaks on the syndicated show pay for the syndicated show which is money that pays for the out of state syndicated program instead of with a local newscast the commercial revenue goes directly to the local station. Do you think TV stations would rather pay more for a syndicated program instead of have a local newscast because maybe the TV station is too lazy to put a local newscast on? Sometimes I thinks TV station make these decisions because they just don’t want to produce a newscast or are too lazy. I think TV stations will use the excuse of the economy is to why they cancel news and in realty the TV station doesn’t want to have a newscast anymore. I hate it with a passion when a TV station cancels newscasts. I wish there were rules against them doing it.

I have no idea. I don’t know why. Local newscasts is cheaper than syndicated programming. I don’t know why WFTS 28 cut their noon newscast just like WBAL 11 cutting the 7:00 a.m. morning newscast as well.

I’d assume that it may have a lot to do with the stations parent company, and what they can afford, and what nationally syndicated shows (Sony, NBC-Universal, Disney-ABC, Warner Brothers, CTD, 20th-Fox, etc.) they’re contractually obligated to carry. WFLA 8 dropped midday news twice, and WFTS 28 drops midday news… leaving WTSP 10 and WTVT 13 as only 2 over-the-air stations with midday news.

Scripps has recently experimented with The List news-magazine show and Let’s Ask America game show, and currently experimenting with The Now newscast on a few of its stations. Scripps is nearing completion of its M&A with Journal Communications.

9AM hour on WFTS 28… if local morning newscast expansion doesn’t work out, I could see Scripps wishing to experiment with or expand The Morning Blend/The Morning Exchange breakfast show… and maybe WFTS bringing back noon newscast.